Ministry of Justice Information Management Assessment Report and Action Plan 2016

I am pleased to champion the publication of a report by The National Archives on our approach to information management. This report shows that we have made good progress in a number of areas, including the management of our information risks and assets.

In May 2016 the Ministry of Justice invited The National Archives to assess our approach to information management as part of the cross-government information management assessment programme and to see how far we have come since their previous report in 2011.

I am glad to see that we have been assessed as good or satisfactory in most areas and that the report recognises the progress we’ve made in the management of our information risks and assets. The 2011 report sets out 34 recommendations for us to work on; this has now been reduced to six recommendations.

I agree with the report that there are still areas we must improve on. We have therefore published an action plan alongside this report including some actions we have already started to tackle. These include:

- Setting clear goals and being better at monitoring compliance with knowledge and information management policies.
- Ensuring that our technology supports the management, protection and exploitation of information and that staff can use it effectively.
- Building on our good work in records review and transfer to date, develop an approach to appraise digital records on the shared drives.
- Embedding a process for information asset management and information risk by reviewing and raising awareness of roles and responsibilities.
- Continuing to improve understanding of information assets and ensuring cyber security risks are included as part of the risk management framework.

We all have a responsibility to manage and protect our information properly, and to use it smartly. This report describes the challenges we face in realising this aim, and offers a sensible and practical way forward.

Richard Heaton Permanent Secretary Ministry of Justice.